Handling of transmissions in the serving cell discovery burst transmission (dbt) window

Abstract

Methods and systems for handling transmissions in a serving cell Discovery Burst Transmission (DBT) window are provided. According to one aspect, a method performed at a User Equipment (UE) comprises receiving a configuration indicating a serving cell DBT window, receiving a configuration for UE-initiated Uplink (UL) transmission, and suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window. These transmissions may be suppressed for the entire serving cell DBT window or suppressed while a base station is transmitting SSBs according to an intended transmit pattern. The suppression may start from a beginning of the serving cell DBT window or from a beginning of a first SSB transmission detected by the UE. The UE may rate match around actual transmitted SSBs that are transmitted within the serving cell DBT window due to various constraints including restrictions on channel access.

1 . A method, performed at a User Equipment, UE, for handling transmissions in a serving cell Discovery Burst Transmission, DBT, window, the method comprising:
 receiving a configuration indicating a serving cell DBT window;   receiving a configuration for UE-initiated Uplink, UL, transmission;   suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window; and   receiving information indicating a pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by a radio access node, and wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during symbols potentially occupied by the SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node according to the pattern of SSBs.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the configuration indicating the serving cell DBT window comprises receiving an information element in either dedicated signaling or broadcast signaling containing a field that indicates a duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the field in dedicated signaling is ServingCellConfigCommon and the field in broadcast signaling is ServingCellConfigCommonSIB. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the field that indicates the duration of the serving cell DBT window comprises a discoveryBurstWindowLength-r16 field. 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein receiving the information indicating the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node comprises receiving a bitmap that indicates the pattern. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the bitmap is contained in the Information Element ssb-PositionsInBurst. 
     
     
         8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during all symbols of any slot containing symbols potentially occupied by the SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node according to the pattern of SSBs. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window also comprises suppressing symbols corresponding to potential transmissions of system information. 
     
     
         11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during an entire duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         13 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A User Equipment, UE, for handling transmissions in a serving cell Discovery Burst Transmission, DBT, window, the UE comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the UE to:
 receive a configuration indicating a serving cell DBT window; 
 receive a configuration for UE-initiated Uplink, UL, transmission; 
 suppress UE-initiated UL transmissions during at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window; and 
 receive information indicating a pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by a New Radio, NR, base station, radio access node, and wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during symbols potentially occupied by the SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node according to the pattern of SSBs. 
   
     
     
         23 . The UE of  claim 22  wherein receiving the configuration indicating the serving cell DBT window comprises receiving an information element in either dedicated signaling or broadcast signaling containing a field that indicates a duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         24 . The UE of  claim 23  wherein the field in dedicated signaling is ServingCellConfigCommon and the field in broadcast signaling is ServingCellConfigCommonSlB. 
     
     
         25 . The UE of  claim 24  wherein the field that indicates the duration of the serving cell DBT window comprises a discoveryBurstWindowLength-r16 field. 
     
     
         26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The UE of  claim 22  wherein receiving the information indicating the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node comprises receiving a bitmap that indicates the pattern. 
     
     
         28 . The UE of  claim 27  wherein the bitmap is contained in the Information Element ssb-PositionsInBurst. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . The UE of  claim 22  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during all symbols of any slot containing symbols potentially occupied by the SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node according to the pattern of SSBs. 
     
     
         31 . The UE of  claim 22  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window also comprises suppressing symbols corresponding to potential transmissions of system information. 
     
     
         32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . The UE of  claim 22  wherein suppressing the UE-initiated UL transmissions during the at least a portion of the serving cell DBT window comprises suppressing UE-initiated UL transmissions during an entire duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         34 - 50 . (canceled) 
     
     
         51 . A method, performed at a radio access node, for handling transmissions in a serving cell Discovery Burst Transmission, DBT, window, the method comprising:
 transmitting, to a User Equipment, UE, a configuration indicating a serving cell DBT window;   transmitting, to the UE, information indicating a pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node during the serving cell DBT window; and   transmitting SSBs according to the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node during the serving cell DBT window.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  wherein transmitting the configuration indicating the serving cell DBT window comprises transmitting a ServingCellConfigCommon Information Element, IE, or a ServingCellConfigCommonSlB IE containing a field that indicates a duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the field that indicates the duration of the serving cell DBT window comprises a discoveryBurstWindowLength-r16 field. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 51  wherein transmitting the information indicating the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node comprises transmitting an ssb-PositionsInBurst Information Element. 
     
     
         55 . A radio access node, for handling transmissions in a serving cell Discovery Burst Transmission, DBT, window, the radio access node comprising:
 one or more processors; and   memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the radio access node to:   transmit, to a User Equipment, UE, a configuration indicating a serving cell DBT window;   transmit, to the UE, information indicating a pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node during the serving cell DBT window; and   transmit SSBs according to the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node during the serving cell DBT window.   
     
     
         56 . The radio access node of  claim 55  wherein transmitting the configuration indicating the serving cell DBT window comprises transmitting a ServingCellConfigCommon Information Element, IE, or a ServingCellConfigCommonSlB IE containing a field that indicates a duration of the serving cell DBT window. 
     
     
         57 . The radio access node of  claim 56  wherein the field that indicates the duration of the serving cell DBT window comprises a discoveryBurstWindowLength-r16 field. 
     
     
         58 . The radio access node of  claim 55  wherein transmitting the information indicating the pattern of SSBs intended to be transmitted by the radio access node comprises transmitting an ssb-PositionsInBurst Information Element. 
     
     
         59 - 66 . (canceled)